New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-14
LABOR AND THE DRINK EVIL

Mr.. Powdcrly at Lynn talked sensibly and
boldly ON the drink evil and urged the neces-
sity of temperance upon worlzingnlen, as ne mas
often done before. 1t Is pity that so many
other issues of far less consequence have been
permitted 10 engross the attention and exhaust
| tbe energies of the labor associations. IL
might have been thought that with the pro
lection of a national organization of labor there
would have gone a determination to begin
tho Improvement Of the existing situation oy
taking hold Of and dealing rcsolutely with a
question the settlement of which IS so com
petely in the hands of those immediauy
affected In all the matters which involve
the relations between labor and captal se"ie-
ment is retarded by conflicting interests anu
bv the fact that neither of the parties can de-
eide for both. But this is not the case as re-
cards the drink evil. Here Labor has the
first and the last word Here 1t Is indepehu-
ont Here il can determine the future 1or
itself without awaiting the consent or agree
mont ~ any other interest And how power
I'm, IN behalf of sobriety would the knights
Of Labor and the unions provo if they put this
great vital issue at the head OF all their pro
elammes; if they showed the country ana the
world thai they meant to begin reform W
casting away the most costly and mlschieVouS
burden that rests upon their shoulders.
Mr. Powderly said in his speech at Lynn !;
ain one Pennsylvania county in Single year
s17 600 900 was spent for liquor, and 1t was
estimated that 100000 of the amount
came from worlingmen.n That may very
we'll he a lust estimate, for it has been cal.
culated that between $4OO,OOo,OOo and
$500 100000 yearly is spent upon drink oy
the workingmcn Of the entire county. Inc
mere statement of these figures has Pr
little effect, yet they possess strong S'ehih
canoe. and the question they seem to Suggest
most emphatcally is this How can the leaders
Of Labor think they are directing II TO plac-
teal ends so long as they refrain from deaiine
directly with waste which even now sur
masses in annual amount all the gains III III
crease of WAGES the most sanguine can anucl-
nate durine the next twenty yeaIs' Looking
at the matter solely as one OF profit and loss
how can any practical man hope to Diing
Labor up TO the plano of natural pOsSiolii'.eS
while it is being drained OF It's resources Dy
the saloon If financier were asked 10 take
charge of the business of great firm which was
runnine behind, and discovered that full
third Of its income was spent upon drink
and were told that this outlay must not be
curtailed or stopped, but that he must find
some new source of revenue to make up Tor IL
what would he think of the wisdom, ana now
would he estimate the prospects, OF that nrih
Yet the workingmcn's leaders seem 10 thinh
that. though the drink evil Is 1orImdaoie
enough to demand occasional remonStrance
and denunciation, it is not formidable enough
TO be made the object Of organized action.
This is a grave error of Judgment. facts ana
Ggnres nrove that American labor suffers from
M external influences tithe of the harm which
II inflicts upon itself; and it is equally clear
that this self-inhicted injury often paralyzcs
its efforts to obtain release from the burdens
which are imnosed ON it from without. There
oro not many situations in which the sober
man is not master of his future. There arc
no conditions so favorable that they may not
he neutralized by intcmperancc 10 the drink
or opoortunities are useless. Thrift and drink
are incompatible and without Thrift the high
oct waocs in the world will not bring com
petence or assurance against pcnury. There
couN be no nobler, moro practical aim for the
GREAT labor organizations than crusade against
The drink evil. That indeed would be an
Ant-POverty society WHICH uiuci'oo W
crate the workingmcn from this curse. NO
course SO absolutely certain to elevate to en-
rich. to strengthen, those devoted to 1t, could
be conceived The organization, the machln-
| ery is ready, but where is the sefdenial, the
aspiration the enthusiasm to adapt it to the
desired end &? 1t is not enough to breach the
sub iect here and there, however earnestly 1T
be treated. If anything is to be done to stop
the fearful waste of capital, health, character
life itself. which the drink habit entails, there
must be great temperance movement within
the ranks of Labor Where is the Peter the
Hermit who will preach this Crusade !